


New Years Eve

by 365paperdolls



Category: For the People (TV 2018)
Genre: Alcohol, Bisexual Kate Littlejohn, Blanket Permission, F/M, Gen, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 13:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17044583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365paperdolls/pseuds/365paperdolls
Summary: Kate and Sandra have to work New Years Eve. Allison and Leonard try to ensure that they get to enjoy and celebrate as well.





	New Years Eve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ElijahDarling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElijahDarling/gifts).



> For elijahdarling I hope you enjoy it!!!!

“Can you believe it we’re finally going to be lawyers next year!” Allison says as she hands Sandra one of the glasses of champagne she is holding. 

“I actually cannot. It seemed like yesterday we were starting law school. Now in two months, one week and three days we will be actual real lawyers working at the Southern District of New York or more accurately that building just over there.” She points over the Western side of the bridge. 

“We made it Sandra, this time next year we will be probably at some amazing party for public defenders and I cannot wait.” 

_One year later_

“Sandra are you ready to go?” Allison calls out as she enters Sandra’s office only to find her buried deep in a notebook surrounded by mountains of paper, more paper than usual. 

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to celebrate New years eve this year. I would love to but I have to work on this case.“

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” Allison inquires. 

“ I wish but I have a ridiculous amount of research to do, the law is incredibly contentious for this case.”

“The law is always contentious.”

Sandra shows her some of her notes.

“Ew that bad, on New Years Eve?”

“Life of a public defender. Jill did say she’d take it herself, but I told her to go spend New Year’s Eve with Roger because she deserves that.”

“She does, but you deserve the night off to.”

“ Remember last NYE when we were speculating about what being a public defender was going to be like.”

“Like it was yesterday. We were so wrong in so many ways.”

“We were but there was one thing we were right about, we are public defenders a year later. And this- " she gestures to the paper around her – “is our job and no it is not always glamorous and we don’t always win but we never stop doing our work no matter the circumstances to make sure we do the best for our clients.”

“Nice speech.”

“Thanks, hey Sandra do you know whose prosecuting this case?”

“Kate Littlejohn, why?”

“No reason, thanks.” Allison leaves with a mysterious look on her face.

_Meanwhile in the Prosecutors offices_

“Kate are you here?” Leonard calls out.

“Leonard?! Is that you?” 

“Yeah, I came to New York because my mum is hosting a New Years Eve party full of senators and solicitors. It’s been useful to network but apart from that it was kind of boring so since I was in town I thought I’d come and see you. I came here as this was the most likely place you would be and I was right.”

“ Believe it or not this isn’t where I want to be but Senate just passed some legislation that is proving very vague and hard to interpret that turned my straight forward win into a contentious problem that could go either way. To make matters worst, the defence council is Sandra Bell, so my only choice is to work on this for the rest of the year.”

Leonard sits down in the chair next to her and pulls a bottle of champagne out of his bag. Kate is oblivious to this, her head buried down in her work as she continues to furiously highlight.

“Thank you for coming Leonard it’s nice to see you again but unfortunately as you can see I have a lot of work to do so you really should go back and enjoy the party and maybe we’ll be able to catch up next year.”

 “ Is Anya around tonight?”

“That didn’t work out, about a month ago…” She trails off. 

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, I should’ve told you but- I’ve been busy.”

“Same, really busy but I’m not busy tonight.”

“Well unfortunately I am.” She mutters as she continues to work. 

He picks up a stack of 100 pieces of paper and places it on the ground, before replacing it with the bottle of champagne. He then quietly leaving the room. 

“Leonard, are you still here? You forgot something.” She calls out two minutes later.

He returns to the doorway.

“What’s that?” He replies mysteriously.

She gestures at the bottle of champagne.

“Thank you for the gift, but I can’t accept this.”

“Oh no that isn’t for you.”

She looks at him puzzled.

“Oh.”

He moves his hands from behind the doorframe to reveal two glasses.

“It’s for us.”

“Leonard go back to your party I have to work.”

“It’s 11:30 on New Years Eve and as amazing as you are you were highlighting that sentence when I got here. Maybe this can wait until next year.”

She stares at the paper.

“Ok maybe your right, but I’m not in the mood to go to your mother’s party-“

“I’m not asking you to go to your mother’s party, just to stop overworking yourself and spend time with me. We can do anything I don’t mind.”

“No you should go back to your mother’s party, as you said it’s an important networking opportunity for you and I don’t want to be the reason you miss that.”

She attempts to thrust the bottle of champagne back into his hands.

“Kate I don’t want to go back to that party, I want to spend New Years Eve with you!”

She stares at him confused. 

“I’ve missed you.” He admits. "Yes I came back to New York to see my mom but really agreeing to come to her party was just an excuse so I could come and see you again.” He confesses

“Oh.”

They stare at each other for a moment, but the office phone rings loudly interrupting the moment.

“I should get that, it’s probably Roger.” Kate mutters awkwardly as she fumbles to pick up the phone.

 

“Hello it’s Kate Littlejohn speaking.”

“Hi Kate, it’s Allison I guessed you would still be at work, Sandra needs to meet you at the Court now, she just had some discovery come in.”

“Can it wait until tomorrow?”

“Unfortunately not it’s really time sensitive and she thinks it best you get it as soon as possible as it’s probably going to effect your case strategy.”

She sighs, “Ok, why are you telling me this instead of her?

“She's still in the process of reading it so she asked me to call you. Can you be there in half an hour?”

She looks at Leonard apologetically who returns a confused expression.

“Sure, tell Sandra I’ll see her then.”

“Thanks Kate, bye.”

“Bye, Allison.”

“Let me guess you’re blowing me off to spend time with Allison and Sandra?”

She shakes her head.

“It’s not social, Sandra just got hold of some information that is apparently going to derail my case, so she’s doing the right thing by sharing it with me now. Unfortunately that means I have to go to the Courts now.”

“I kinda wish it was social. Oh well I was hoping that it would just be the two of us, but I don’t mind spending time with Allison and Sandra.”

“You can’t come with me.” She says more harshly than she intended. 

“Why not, I use to work at the courts too remember?”

She hesitates trying to come up with a good reason as to why. 

“Used to. You should go back to your mother’s party.” She insists.

“I told you Kate, I’m here to see you. At least let me drive you there, I can wait outside. Who knows maybe she’s exaggerating and whatever it is isn’t that bad that we might be able to do something afterwards.”

“Ok.” She admits defeat. 

*

When they arrive at the courts they find Sandra and Allison waiting on the steps of the court. Allison clearly looks nervous but Kate has no idea a story to why.

“Bye, have fun.” Leonard tells Kate. 

“Thanks.” She replies genuinely, she hesitates before quickly leaving the car.

As he watches Kate run up the steps to Sandra, he notices Allison coming towards him and waving for him to follow. He gives her a confused gesture. 

She comes up to the window of the car and gestures to him to wind down the window. He obliges. 

“What’s going on?”

“Can I get in the car?”

He senses that’s somethings up.

“Sure what’s going on?”

She gestures over to Sandra and Kate. 

“ If you let me get in the car I’ll explain,it’s good I promise. You don’t have anywhere you need to be tonight do you?”

“Absolutely nowhere else.”

*

_Meanwhile on the steps of the court._

“So what’s the piece of contentious information that cannot wait until tomorrow?” Kate asks Sandra abruptly.

She returns a confused look.

“What are you talking about, you are the one with the contentious information?” 

“No, I don’t have any contentious information. Allison rang me up and said you wanted to meet here because you have contentious information that cannot wait until tomorrow because what you found could derail my entire case.”

“That’s funny, because Allison told me the exact same thing, except she said it was you that rang her and told her that you needed to meet me here.”

“I think we need to talk to Allison.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

“Where did she go?”

“I don’t know where she went she was just here. Let me ring her.” She gets out her phone. 

“Hey Allison, what’s going on?”

“Meet me on the roof and bring Kate.”

“What?”

“You know the rooftop terrace on the courts.”

“ Yes, why?”

“You’ll see, see you soon.” Allison says mysteriously before hanging up.

“What did she say?”

“Not a lot just that she wants us to meet her on the Rooftop Terrace, which is odd.”

“Well I hope you have a good New Years Eve Sandra, I’ll see you in court next week.” Kate turns to leave.

“You aren’t coming?”

“I dragged Leonard out here for no reason when he could’ve been at a party which lots of high profile people networking to forward his career.”

“Leonard is here?” 

“Yeah he dropped me off. If I’m lucky he will still be near by.” At that moment she get’s a message from Leonard.

I know you probably want to leave, but come up to the Rooftop terrace first.

“What is it?”

“Looks like whatever Allison is planning, Leonard is in on it too.”

“ This is strange, do you want to check it out?”

“Well it looks like the only way that we are going to get answers is to go to the roof.”

“Let’s go then.”

When they get to the doors of the court Kate hesitates. 

“Is this legal?”

“We have a key and we were at least technically here for work.”

“Ok.” She says satisfied with that justification.

As they make their way to the roof Kate hopes that Leonard is on the roof and not genuinely wanting her to spend time with Allison and Sandra by themselves.

The door to the terrace is also open but left only slightly ajar. 

Sandra pushes the door open to reveal Allison and Leonard standing on the terrace together holding two glasses of champagne each.

“Allison what’s going on?”

As they walk onto the terrace they notice that it is decorated slightly with streamers and glitter. 

“You were working hard and I thought Kate would be too and because it is New Years Eve I thought you both needed a break, so surprise! I know it isn’t much and I’m sorry about lying to you but I thought if you knew the truth neither of you would have come-“

“Allison it’s ok thank you.” Sandra goes up to Allison and hugs her before taking the champagne.

"Did you know?" Kate asks Leonard as she takes one of the glasses off of him. 

" Only after we got here. It was all Allison's idea." 

"Thanks Allison." 

“How long until midnight?”

“20 minutes.”

For the next twenty minutes they talk about their jobs and their lives keeping out all the confidential information. Leonard tells them about life in Texas and Allison about her relationships. For that brief moment in time both Sandra and Kate are able to forget about the stress of their case.

“I know you had better places to be tonight.” Kate tells Leonard as they walk away to the edge of the roof by themselves. 

“For the last time Kate I want to be here with you. 

“We have about-” She checks her watch quickly – “ five minutes left.” Kate said eager to change the subject.

“Yeah, until next year.” He places his glass on a nearby table and takes her free hand in his.

“When are you going back?” She says eyes transfixed on the building across the street.

“Let’s not worry about that tonight.”

She turns to face him.

“When?”

He shakes his head.

“I’m not, the job wasn’t for me so-“

“Your coming back?!” She tries to hide the excitement in her voice.

He breaks out into a grin, “ yeah, I’m coming back.”

"Hey Sandra are you looking forward to having to verse Leonard again next year?" 

Allison and Sandra look confused for a second before it dawns on them the implication of her words. They both race over and hug him.

"Just warning you we've gotten better so don't expect to win too many cases." Sandra jokes with him.

*

Meanwhile, Sandra and Allison return to the other side of the balcony to watch the parties going on in the street below.

“Remember last year when we were down there,”- Sandra points towards the bridge below “dreaming about being up here.”

“Yeah and now here we are, on top of the world, well maybe only the Southern District Court of New York-“

“Literally.”

They laugh. 

“Thank you, for organising all of this, I really appreciate it.”

“What would you do without me?”

“Nothing.”

They continue to sip their drinks and watch when Sandra’s gaze wanders over to the other side of the balcony. 

“Hey Allison, it’s not midnight yet is it?”

Allison checks her watch.

“No it’s 11:58pm, the fireworks will be on time don’t worry, why?”

“Maybe we should tell them that.” She gestures over to Kate and Leonard. Allison turns around to see Leonard and Kate kissing passionately. 

“I don’t think they really mind.”

2 minutes later Allison and Sandra countdown and watch the fireworks light up the New York skyline.

“Happy New Year Allison.”

“Happy New Year Sandra.”


End file.
